Some young people in Tema have called on the government to implement policies that promote private sector growth,

They say sustainable employment opportunities would depend largely on the expansion of businesses rather than continued public sector recruitment.

Creating an enabling business environment through access to finance, tax incentives and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) would encourage businesses to expand and employ more young people,” the youth advocated

Mr Isaac Ofori, a resident of Tema, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in a survey that Ghana’s economic transformation required greater private sector participation to absorb the growing number of young people entering the labour market each year.

He said while public sector employment remained important, government alone could not create enough jobs to meet the country’s employment needs.

According to him, policies that encourage investment, reduce the cost of doing business and support entrepreneurship would stimulate job creation and economic growth.

Ms Martina Agyeman, an unemployed university graduate, appealed to the government to introduce targeted regulatory reforms, skills development programmes and financial support to help businesses employ more young people.

She said many graduates possessed the willingness to work but continued to face limited employment opportunities despite completing their education.

Ms Nyamekye Manu, who is unemployed, also called for increased access to financing for SMEs, noting that many businesses were unable to expand because of limited access to affordable credit.

She urged the government to strengthen guarantee schemes and other financial interventions to encourage banks to lend to businesses, particularly youth-led enterprises.

Mr Muwusi Seli, another unemployed youth, appealed for dedicated financing facilities and entrepreneurship support for young business owners.

He also called for simpler tax policies and lower borrowing costs to enable young entrepreneurs to establish and expand their businesses.

The respondents expressed the hope that sustained investment in the private sector would not only reduce unemployment but also stimulate innovation, increase productivity and strengthen Ghana’s economy.